Braiding machine carrier



Oct. 27, 1936- R. M. scoT-r r-:T Al.

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Patented Oct. 27, 1936 BRAIDING MACHINE CARRIER Roger M. Scott and John G. Aldrich, Providence, R. I., assignors to New England Butt Company, Providence, R. I., a corporation of Rhode Island Application April 10, 1936, Serial No. 73,673

4 Claims.

This invention relates to strand carriers for braiding machines, and more especially to devices of this character adapted for use in connection with forming wire cables or braid wherein the material employed is of considerab-le weight and requires the application of a substantial degree of tension.

AIn devices of this character as heretofore employed the carrier reel has been held against turning by means of a sliding detent or one provided with a re-entrant face whereby considerable pressure has been required to vrelease the detent from the ratchet teeth with the result that the detent is hard to operate and also diiiicult to return quickly into its engaging position so that several of the ratchet teeth may be passed over at one time when the detent is moved into released position. This tends to prevent smoothness of operation and evenness of tension on the strand. In order to overcome these difficulties in the operation of such devices the present invention provides for the employment of a pivoted detent mounted in opposed rel-ation with the detent engaging face of each ratchet tooth and having the engaging surfaces of the detent and ratchet `tooth so formed as to permit a ready separation of the parts upon actuation without producing any binding action upon the other operating .elements or interfering with the quick return of the detent into engaging position after passing the tooth.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means whereby the detent actuating rod may be rendered readily responsive to the action of its spring-for returning the detent member into engaging position after its release of one of the ratchet teeth.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a suitably positioned release operating member adapted to engage a suitable throwoff mechanism for stopping the braiding machine upon the release of all tension on the strand.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for mounting the strand carrying reel in such a manner that it servesto provide a stabilizing effect upon the carrier member and is capable of being readily removed and repl-aced when desired, While at the same time being positively held against accidental displacement relative to the carrier.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an equalizingmeans operable in connection with the strand carrying member or reel for assisting in maintaining a substantial uniformity in the feeding of the strand from the carrying member and oppose any unduly extended release of the strand material or expansion of the same outwardly of the reel axis in the operation of the mechanism.

Other objects and advantages of the invention relate to various improved details of construction and novel arrangements of the parts as will be more fully set forth in the detailed description to follow.

Referring to the drawing:-

Fig. l is a side elevational View of the strand carrier showing the parts in substantially their normal operating positions,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the frame and horizontal reel, illustrating the position of the pivotally mounted detent member in its tooth engaging position, also showing the left hand slide supporting bar in elevation and the strand equalizing means in its relation to the strand carrying member,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken transversely of the upper portion of the frame substantially centrally thereof, and illustrating the path traversed by the strand as it passes over the tension roll to the guide eye,

Fig. 4 is a detail view in side elevation of the latching means for holding the reel supporting shaft in position within the vertical portions of the frame, and,

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the equalizing means illustrating its position with relation to the strand carrying member or reel.

character.

A frame 2 is carried by the base I, and may, as in the present case, be formed integral therewith yand comprise lower side portions 3 and 4 arising from the base I and spaced from each other to receive therebetween a reel 5 carrying the strand material and provided with oppositely positioned spaced heads 6 and 1.

A plurality of teeth 8 may be supported by the head Band circularly arranged about the axis of the reel 5 as a center in suitable position for successive engagement by a detent member.

The reel 5 may be provided with an axial opening for the reception of a shaft lll receivable in correspondingly positioned opposed openings I2 Qlme-d in the side portions 3 and 4.

The shaft l0 may be provided at one end with a transverse pin I4 extending therethrough and adapted to iit within a groove l5 formed in one face of the side portion 3 when the shaft is in reel supporting position in the openings I2. A shaft holding means comprises a cover plate i5 pivotally secured to the side portion 3, as at I'F, and-provided with side and end spring receiving recesses for the reception of a spring I8 suitably anchore-d at i9 and receivable within the side and end recesses for locking the cover plate i5 in either opened or closed position, as is most clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

rEhe lower side portions 3 and 4 of the frame may be formed integral with or .support a horizontal frame portion 29 having upper side frame portions 22 and 24 formed integral therewith or carried thereby to support certain of the carrier operating mechanism above the reel 5. The upper side frame portions 22 and 24 may have formed integral therewith or supported thereby an upper transverse frame portion 25. Conveniently located between the upper transverse frame portion 25 and the lower transverse frame portion 23 are guide shafts 25 and 2l', each of which may have the lower end portion threaded within a suitable opening formed in the lower transverse frame portion 20, and these serve as bearings for slidably supporting a tension block 38. Coiled springs 3| and 32 may be carried by the vertical guide shafts 25 and 2 respectively, and positioned above the tension block Sil to engage the tension block 55 and upper transverse frame portion 25 for applying the desired degree of tension to the tension block 30.

A guide pulley 34 may be rotatably supported by arms 35 carriedV by the upper transverse frame portion 25, and a similar guide pulley 36 may be rotatably supported by oppositely positioned ears 37 and 38 carried by the tension block 35, the axes of the pulleys 34 and 36 being offset from each other somewhat transversely of their extent to permit free movement of the guide block 38 throughout a relatively wide range. The upper transverse frame portion 25 may be provided with a strand guiding eye 4i) for the reception of a strand 4l after passing from the reel 5 over pulleys 34 and 36 to direct it to the formed material.

A release operating member 42 is carried by the tension block 30 and projects outwardly therefrom in suitable position to engage a castof actuating member 43 when the tension block is located in its lowermost position, for stopping the operation of the machine, when, for any reason, no substantial amount of tension is being appliedto the strand.

The lower side frame portion 4 of the structure may be suitably shaped to provide with a part of the upper side frame portion 24 a vertical guide recess 44 substantially within the plane of the reel teeth 8, when the parts are in operative position, for the reception of a detent member 45 which is pivotally supported as at 41 from a part of the side frame portion 4 and so positioned as to locate its outer face 48 in opposition with and for engagement by contacting surfaces 49 of the teeth 8, the contacting surfaces 49 of the ratchet teeth 8 being preferably each formed to engage substantially uniformly the contacting face 48 of the detent member along a plane substantially tangential to a cylinder generated about the axis of the detent member as a center to permit ready release of a ratchet tooth upon actuation of a detent member without causing binding of the parts.

A detent actuating rod 56 is slidably mounted in a portion 5l of the upper transverse frame 25 and pivotally connected as at 52 with the detent member 45. A collar 53 may be sleeved upon the rod 59 and secured thereto to provide, with the portion 5i of the frame member, bearings for a coiled spring 54 carried by the actuating rod, and at the same time be provided with a portion engageable by a lug 55 carried by the tension block for actuating the detent member upon suitable upward movement of the tension block.

Means is provided equalizing the feeding of the strand from the strand carrier during the operation of the mechanism which may comprise a shaft 58 mounted in oppositely located portions of the vertical frame members and having a curved strand engaging plate 59 supported thereby and adapted to be forced into frictional engagement with the strand material carried by the reel through one or more spring members 60, which may be suitably mounted on the shaft 58 and have end portions anchored to the frame in` any desiredmanner, as indicated at 5i, to exert pressure upon the strand engaging plate 59 and force the concave face thereof into greater or less extended ycontact with the strand material carried by the reel.

The positioning of the strand carrying reel 5 closely adjacent to the base l of the carrier tends to stabilize thc structure and effects a smooth running operation of the carrier on the top plate of the braiding machine.

In the operation of the structure shown, the strand 4l is passed from the reel 5 outwardly over the guide pulley 34 and down under the guide pulley 35 carried by the tension block from which it passes upwardly through the thread guiding eye 46 to direct it suitably for incorporation into the formed material. The tensioning effect of the coiled springs 3l and 32 is directed against the tension block 30 to apply suitable tension to the strand 4I as it passes from the carrier. In order that this tension may be suitably regulated' during operation of the machine, the head 6 of theV strand carrying reel is provided with teeth 8, and the detent 46 pivotally sup-- ported by the side frame portion 4 is mounted thereon so that its outwardly extending face 48 is located in opposition to the detent engaging faces 49 of the teeth 8, the meeting surfaces of the detent and engaging faces of the teeth being preferably shaped so that the detent may be raised without causing any undue binding action between these parts. As the tension is increased through drawing the strand into the formed material the tension block Si) is raised until the lug 55 carried thereby strikes the collar 53v carried by the detent actuating rod 5a). Further upward movement of the tension block raises the detent actuating rod 5D against the tension of the spring 54, and thus lifts the tooth engaging face of the detent over the tooth with which it is in Contact. The immediate release of a portion of the strand permits the tension block 30 to descend under the influence of the springs 3| and 32, while the spring 54 lowers the rod 50 and moves the end portion of the detent 46 into engagement With the tooth of the drum 6 which is then in position to be engaged. This cycle of movement continues during the operation of the machine thus serving to maintain tension upon the strand Within substantially close limits. By providing a detent of the character described and detent actuating means therefor capable of responding readily to the action of the tension block and capable of operating without binding a much more uniform and regular tension may be applied than has been possible heretofore in devices of this character. Among the features of the present construction which contributes to this ease of operation are the manner of pivoting the detent member at a point somewhat closely adjacent to the path of travel of the teeth 8 and the employment of the outer face of the free end of the detent as a tooth engaging surface, as well as the manner of shaping the detent end and engaging surfaces of the teeth to insure proper holding action and at the same time provide for release without binding. In this connection also the free movement of the actuating rod 50, which from the construction and arrangement of the parts is no-t subjected to binding action, serves to assist in the ready return of the detent member to tooth engaging position after having been raised. The equalizing means provided for equalizing the feed of the strand from the strand carrier serves also to produce a more uniform operation in that it tends to prevent the strand material from backing up or expanding away from the reel and at the same time acts as a brake to prevent a too rapid unwinding of the strand from the reel during the period when the detent is raised out of engagement with the teeth.

In the normal operating position of the mechanism the tension block 30 is always raised above its lowermost position, since in operation the strand is always under tension. If for any reason, such as the breakage of the strand, the tension block drops to its lowermost position the release operating member 42 will strike the throwoff actuating member 43 as the carrier moves over the top plate of the machine thus automatically stopping the operation of the machine until the necessary repairs or corrections are made.

The means employed for locking the reel carrying shaft I0 in reel supporting position are such as to be capable of ready manipulation to remove or replace a reel, while at the same time being such as to positively hold the shaft I0 against accidental removal.

What we claim is:

1. In a strand carrier for braiding machines, a frame, a horizontal strand carrying reel rotatably supported by the frame adjacent to the lower portion thereof and provided with ratchet teeth, a spring controlled tension member slidably supported by the frame above said reel for movement vertically of the frame, a detent member pivotally supported by the frame in offset relation with the axis of the reel for engagement with said ratchet teeth, a spring pressed detent rod carried by the frame and engageable by said tension member to move said detent out of engagement with the ratchet teeth upon increase of tension on the strand, and a release operating member carried by the said tension member and mounted for movement into position to engage a castoff mechanism for stopping the machine when tension upon the strand is substantially entirely removed.

2. A strand carrier for braiding machines comprising a base portion and a frame extending upwardly therefrom, a strand carrier member rotatably supported by the frame at a point adjacent to the base and provided with a series of detent teeth circularly arranged about the axis of the strand carrier member as a center and each having a detent engaging face, a detent member pivotally supported by the frame and provided with an end engaging face substantially tangential to a circle the center of which coincides with the pivotal axis of the detent member for substantially fitting engagement with the detent engaging faces of said teeth, slidably supported tension means carried by the frame above said carrier member, a detent actuating member, and means carried by said tension means and detent actuating member for moving the tooth engaging face of said detent member temporarily out of engagement with one of said teeth upon increase of tension on the strand beyond a predetermined point.

3. In a braider, a strand carrier comprising a frame having opposed upright portions, a strand carrying reel rotatably supported by the op-posed upright portions of the frame at a point adjacent to the lower portion of the frame and provided with detent engaging teeth circularly positioned about the reel axis as a center, a detent member pivotally supported by the frame for movement l into or out of engagement with said teeth, a tension member slidably supported by the frame above said reel for tensioning the strand material, a release operating member carried by said tension member, and a throw-off means carried by the braider and engageable by said release operating member when said tension member is in its lowermost position for stopping the operation of the braider upon release of tension on the strand.

4. In a strand carrier for braiding machines, a frame, a horizontal strand carrying reel rotatably supported by the frame adjacent to the lower portion thereof and provided with ratchet teeth, a spring controlled tension member slidably supported by the frame above said reel for movement vertically of the frame, a detent member pivotally supported by the frame in offset relation with the axis of the reel for engagement with said ratchet teeth, a slidably supported detent actuating member carried by said frame and engageable by said tension member to move said detent out of engagement with the ratchet teeth upon increase of tension on the strand, a resiliently actuated strand engaging member mounted for engagement with the strand material upon the reel for equalizing the feed of the material from the reel, and a release operating means carried by said tension member and mounted for movement into position to engage a castoff mechanism for stopping the machine when tension upon the strand is substantially entirely removed.

ROGER M. SCOTT. JOHN G. ALDRICH. 

